Configuration management system for large-scale capital projects

A method of managing template configuration information with a CMS across a plurality of large-scale capital projects, the plurality of large-scale capital projects executing multiple applications at a plurality of project sites, the method comprising:

• forwarding, from a central site having a master template with a plurality of master template configuration options, a project template to the plurality of project sites, the project template having thousands of project configuration options for developing the large-scale capital projects, the project template being based on the master template;
• updating, at the central site, the master template configuration options;
• forwarding to the plurality of project sites and/or one or more staging areas, from the central site, the updated master template configuration options, each project template having a set of existing project configuration options prior to receipt of the updated master template configuration options;
• using one or more automated comparators, at respective project sites and/or the staging area(s), to determine differences between the updated master template configuration options and existing project configuration options for each project, the one or more automated comparators producing a difference report having the master template configuration options that are different than the existing project configuration options of each project;
• selecting, for each project, a sub-set of the master template configuration options from the difference report, each project template having a specific sub-set of project configuration options to be updated from the difference report;
• and
• updating, using the specific sub-set of template configuration options, the respective existing project configuration options for each project template to produce new existing project configuration options for each project template.

A computer program product for use on a computer system for managing CMS template configuration information across a plurality of large-scale capital projects, the plurality of large-scale capital projects executing multiple applications at a plurality of project sites, the computer program product comprising a tangible, non-transient computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:

• program code for forwarding, from a central site having a master template with a plurality of master template configuration options, a project template to the plurality of project sites, the project template having thousands of project configuration options for developing the large-scale capital projects, the project template being based on the master template;
• program code for updating, at the central site, the master template configuration options;
• program code for forwarding to the plurality of project sites and/or one or more staging areas, from the central site, the updated master template configuration options, each project template having a set of existing project configuration options prior to receipt of the updated master template configuration options;
• program code for using one or more automated comparators, at respective project sites and/or the staging area(s), to determine differences between the updated master template configuration options and existing project configuration options for each project, the one or more automated comparator producing a difference report having the master template configuration options that are different than the existing project configuration options of each project;
• program code for selecting, for each project, a sub-set of the master template configuration options from the difference report, each project template having a specific sub-set of project configuration options to be updated from the difference report;
• and
• program code for updating, using the specific sub-set of template configuration options, the respective existing project configuration options for each project template to produce new existing project configuration options for each project template.